A heavenly transfer

The Natural Empathy shop at the corner of Wellwood Street and Church Street is looking rather empty at the moment but it will soon be much more lively as a new business moves in.

Despite Natural Empathy products becoming ever more popular and successful throughout the country, the shop in Amble was not commercially viable. Philip Stuckey of Natural Empathy told The Ambler “We decided to call it a day with the shop for a number of reasons. First of all it only really made any money at Christmas. The rest of the time it lost money due to a number of factors including the fact we couldn’t often be there ourselves due to how busy the business is generally.

“Natural Empathy continues to go from strength to strength as the award for ‘best new natural beauty product’ testifies. This was a Europe wide competition judged by industry professionals. We have added many new outlets nationally and the website has grown considerably. So all in all we had to have a rethink on the shop. Although some people will think we have failed, the truth is it is closing because the business has become too successful (relatively anyway).”

Valerie and Graham Baldwin who ran the beauty salon within the Natural Empathy shop now operate their side of the business from home in Hadston. Valerie provides the same list of treatments as before – facials, massage, manicures, pedicures, eyebrows and hot stone treatment. She uses a dedicated beauty room and Natural Empathy products.

Angel Foods
Sue Murray will be taking over the premises on Wellwood Street. Angel Foods will be a coffee house, serving drinks, cakes and sandwiches and catering for people with any food allergies, such as those with coeliac disease, diabetes and those with a lactose intolerance. Sue said “I believe it is important to provide choices like this as so many people have food allergies nowadays.”

All of the food will be made by Sue herself. She will be using gluten-free flour and dairy-free products. “There will be no additives. I can provide healthy food for everybody, whether they have an allergy or not,” she said.

She has registered with the Coeliac Society, and intends to invite them to come and test samples, to ensure that it is free of contamination.

If the food passes the test, she can use the crossed-grain sign. Customers can recognise the sign and know that the food is safe for them. She told us she knows of no other establishment in this region which has the crossed-grain sign. Hotels and restaurants will also be able to order food from her.
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Sue has worked in catering for 26 years, and suffers from coeliac disease herself.. She said “I want to provide a friendly atmosphere, where people can enjoy healthy food. I imagine they could come from as far as Berwick”.

Sue will also continue to stock and sell Natural Empathy products as well as her allergy free and natural foods.